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APPLE, 



The Apple is par excellence the principal fruit of the cooler regions of 

 the world, being more widely used and generally cultivated than any 

 other kind, and it remains longer in season. This fruit is very popular, 

 and it is utilised in a variety of ways. When eaten raw the fruit is 

 considered to be wholesome and refreshing by most persons, and, there- 

 fore, it is in great demand. For culinary purposes the Apple is also 

 consumed in large quantities, and is utilised in various ways. In some 

 parts of the world considerable quantities of the fruit are turned to good 

 account in a dried state, and in the shape of cider it supplies a staple 

 beverage in some parts of England and other European countries, as 

 also in the United States of America. The Apple will thrive to 

 perfection throughout the larger portion of Australasia, and is more 

 especially suited for the more elevated and cooler regions. It is a fruit 

 deserving of greater attention from cultivators, as there is a large and 

 rapidly-expanding home demand, and an outlet in the United Kingdom 

 for any surplus that can be raised for many years to come. 



HISTORY OF THE APPLE. 



The Apple belongs to the natural order flosacece, or the Rose family 

 (sub-order, Pomew), and is known botanically as Pyrus mains. The 

 generic name is supposed to be derived from peren, the Celtic word for 

 the Pear a fruit to which the Apple is very closely allied. The 

 common, or English, name is said to have originated from the Celtic 

 apball or abhall, derived from ball in the same language, and signifying 

 a round body. In its wild state the species is indigenous to the United 

 Kingdom and throughout a large portion of Northern Europe. It is 

 also found in a wild state in some parts of Northern Asia. In its wild 

 state the fruit of the Apple is widely different in appearance and quality 

 from the modern cultivated varieties, being small, astringent, acid and 

 unpalatable. The wild fruit in England is commonly known as the 

 "Crab Apple." There is no certainty as to when or where the first 

 improvements originated, but, according to historical records, it must 

 have been at a very early period. 



Pyrus coronaria, a robust species, yields the American " Crab 

 Apple," and Pyrus rivularis, also an American species, growing in the 

 North-western portion of the continent, furnishes an edible fruit that 

 is eaten by the Indians as food. Pyrus salicifolia, or amygdakeformis, 

 a European species, also yields edible Apples. Possibly by cultivation 

 these species might be improved, or they may be crossed with varieties 

 of Pyrus makes. They might also prove serviceable for stocks if fairly 

 tried. 



The Apple appears to have been well known and extensively used by 

 the early Hebrews, Greeks, Romans and other ancient nations, as it is 

 frequently mentioned by their writers. It is frequently referred to in 

 the fables and traditions of these peoples. The allegorical tree of 



